Lib Dems Act To Defeat Move To Restrict Shared Homes

Cllr Catherine Smart
(LD, Romsey)

Liberal Democrats will tonight (Thursday, April 19) call on their city council colleagues to reject a Labour move to restrict the number of shared houses in Cambridge.

They will also ask for rejection of Labour’s demands to look at options for regulating houses in multiple occupation.

And they will advise the council that smaller shared houses, where three or more people live in two or more unrelated households, cannot be licensed because conditions required to meet the legislation are not present in Cambridge at the moment; the situation will continue to be monitored.

The Lib Dems have raised an amendment to a Labour motion calling for the restriction and will ask the city council to “recognise the vital contribution that well-run houses make in providing homes for family, students, professionals and migrant workers”.

Catherine Smart, Romsey Councillor and Deputy Leader of Cambridge City Councillor said: “Without shared housing many people living and working in our city would not be able to do so. Property prices make home ownership unaffordable for many in Cambridge but they can live in the city by sharing the cost of renting.

“We are fortunate that we have a diverse mix of people in our city and we don’t want to discourage that. This could be bad for our economy and our community in general.

“It is vital, therefore, that we make sure we support the contribution made by these properties and the people who live there. But at the same time, we do acknowledge that not all of them are run as well as they could be and sometimes there are problems as there are with all types of housing. We have procedures in place to deal with this.”

Lib Dems will ask for an annual report to be brought to the council’s Community Services Committee detailing the number and type of complaints received by the Environmental Health Department in all types of housing in the city and how they have been dealt with, including the number of prosecutions.

The full wording of the Lib Dem amendment is as follows:

'The Council recognises the vital contribution that shared rented housing makes in providing homes for students, professionals, migrant workers and many people on low incomes.   It acknowledges that housing is expensive in Cambridge and that this is the only way many people can afford to live in the city.

Council therefore rejects the idea of limiting the number of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the city or part of the city.  If restrictions are put in place, rents would rise and people would quickly be priced out of the city.   Making it difficult for people to access shared housing in the city, could have a disastrous effect on the economy of the area.  

Council notes the desire of some to “extend the current HMO definition to include all properties with 3 or more people in two or more unrelated households, regardless of the building layout”  but also notes that the conditions required in the legislation are not present in Cambridge to extend the licensing system in this way and agrees that it should be kept under review.    However, Council also recognises that the implementation of the licensing of smaller properties can be deeply intrusive and lead to complex enquiries about details of people's relationships and domestic arrangements which are no business of the council.  Any extension of the licensing system would need to be framed to avoid this.

The Council also notes that, while the majority of landlords are responsible and manage their houses in a satisfactory way, a minority are not, causing severe problems both to their tenants and to the neighbours.   It further notes that while the majority of residents are responsible people, some are not and are inconsiderate, irresponsible and cause considerable problems to their neighbours

The Council therefore endorses the actions of the Environmental Health Officers in responding to complaints and working towards changing the behaviour of the irresponsible minority in all types of tenure whether landlords, tenants or home-owners.     It notes that advice, warnings, enforcement letters, injunctions, confiscations and full prosecution are all used to this end. 

However, Council requests that an annual report is brought to Community Services Scrutiny Committee detailing the number and type of complaints received by the Environmental Health Department and how they have been dealt with, including the number of prosecutions."

Lib Dems Win National Accolades For Their Work In The City

Cllr Rosenstiel Accepts The Award From Nick Clegg MP

Cambridge Liberal Democrats have been recognised nationally with accolades for their contribution to the local economy and work in the city.

The group won the Local Government Association’s award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Economy and was declared runner up in the Council Group of the Year award which it won last year.

Cambridge City Council Leader, Sian Reid said: “We are delighted to have won these awards. Our long-term attitude to our economy and growth is really paying off for us. This is not a reaction to the recession but a long standing and profound commitment to getting it right.”

The LGA awards come just weeks after Cambridge was revealed as the UK’s most successful city and well placed to drive the country’s economic recovery.

The Cities Outlook 2012 report by Centre for Cities showed how well Cambridge had fared during the economic downturn compared to other cities.

In making the awards, judges took this evidence into account and considered the city council’s work with the vulnerable.

Cambridge City Council Deputy Leader, Catherine Smart said: “Despite hard times, protecting and enhancing our services for the vulnerable has been our number one priority.

“Indeed in the midst of a large savings programme we are putting money into youth programmes, restorative justice, help for the homeless and street drinkers, investment in community centres and more. We have managed the council so we have the resources to put vulnerable people first.

“We are extremely proud of this and these awards are testament to the hard work that has gone into safeguarding these services and contributing to the city generally.”

City Councillors Vote On Spending Plans And Tax Freeze

Cllr Catherine Smart
(LD, Romsey)

Cambridge City Councillors will vote this week on their spending plans for the coming year and a move to freeze council tax for residents.

The ruling Liberal Democrat group has put together a budget which safeguards the city’s basic services and protects services for the vulnerable while at the same time pushing ahead with its vision for the city’s future.

But it has been a careful balancing act against a backdrop of a 23 per cent reduction in the council’s government grant over the next two years.

Despite funding restraints, the Lib Dems have identified £1.2 million worth of savings for 2012/13 rising to £1.4 million in later years.

And the council is planning to give grants to help people insulate their homes and to increase plastic recycling.

There are also plans to fund a restorative justice scheme for low-level offending where victims and offenders agree. This scheme will be similar to those in other parts of the country which have been successful in cutting re-offending.

The Lib Dems will ask their Cambridge City Council colleagues to vote for their budget on Thursday (February 23).

Catherine Smart, Cambridge City Council Deputy Leader said: “This budget has not been easy but it has been made easier by the hard work and the robust programme of savings put in place last year.

“This means we have been able to protect those of our services used by vulnerable people, invest in our basic services so the city is kept safe and clean, and to make sure that we get right those things where we only have one chance to get it right.

“And fortunately because we have been prudent, we can take the council tax freeze the government is offering which will bring some relief to people whose finances are stretched.”

Councils Must Have Power To Save Their High Streets - Huppert

MP Julian Huppert has impressed upon Parliament the need to empower Cambridge and communities across the country to make the decisions to secure the future of their town centres.

He welcomed the government’s commitment to protecting the nation’s high street and moves to decentralise power, but added there is more that can be done.

During a debate in the House of Commons today (Tuesday, January 17) Julian said how Cambridge was lucky to have a successful city council, led by Councillor Sian Reid who was fighting hard to protect its town centre and local high streets.

“As such, we’re more than ready to identify where the government reforms are working, and where they will not deliver as expected,” he said.

But he added that the city council is powerless to stop supermarkets moving into the city even when local people are opposed to them.

He spoke about the success and diversity of Mill Road and the fight to protect its future.  And he added that, after pressure from Cambridge City Council, the government agreed to change the planning categories, known as ‘use classes’, under which businesses fall to empower local councils to control which shops dominate their high streets; but to date no action has been taken.

“Despite the best efforts of Sian Reid as council leader, Catherine Smart as deputy leader and myself as the local MP we have not been able to find any legal means by which we can prevent supermarkets from opening new stores on our high streets,” he said.

“It is perfectly possible, under existing rules, for a supermarket to hold a reasonable market share across the country, but to have a complete monopoly in a town or on a high street. The result is a complete lack of choice for consumers, which is bad for the community and bad for the economy.

“I’ve worked very closely with city councillors to find out how we can represent the interests of our constituents by breaking local monopolies and promoting local stores. Local Government must be able to control whether new stores are chains or independents, small or large outlets, because that is want people want them to do.

“If, by the end of this Parliament, it is still impossible for local communities to control their own neighbourhoods then this government will have failed to meet its own aims,” he warned.

Huppert Welcomes Government Bonus For Affordable City Homes

MP Julian Huppert has welcomed government funding which will give Cambridge City Council hundreds of thousands of pounds this year to plan for and build more affordable homes.

The money comes through the New Homes Bonus, a multi-billion pound programme which rewards communities for accepting more house building in their areas. It includes an extra reward for building new, affordable homes and for getting long-term empty homes back into use.

Julian said: “Our city badly needs affordable housing to give people a chance to come off the social housing waiting lists.

“I am delighted that the government has recognised how Cambridge is growing and the need for houses that are within the reach of the average family rather than just those on high incomes.”

Cambridge City Council will receive £700,000 under the New Homes Bonus scheme in 2012/13 and for the next five years.

Julian added: “During 13 years of Labour government, Britain was facing a housing crisis as the number of affordable homes fell and waiting lists almost doubled.

“House building is already up a quarter under the coalition government and this is only the start.”

Catherine Smart, Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Housing said: “Money is needed to plan for and build the houses we desperately need.

“We have 7,000 people on our waiting list for social housing and there are even more who would like to buy their own homes but there are none available at prices they can afford.

“We need more of all kinds to be built but at the same time, we want the additional houses to be of quality and create areas that are of quality where people will be pleased to live.  Quality does not come cheap but this money will help."

Huppert Congratulates City And Quizzes Government On Empty Homes

MP Julian Huppert has quizzed the government on how Cambridge can access its £150 million empty homes fund to bring disused houses back into use.

He raised the question with Communities and Local Government Minister, Andrew Stunnell as work continues by Cambridge City Council to make empty homes available to families on its waiting list.

And he praised City Council Leader, Sian Reid and her Deputy Catherine Smart, who has responsibility for housing, in their work on empty homes.

Julian asked Mr Stunnell: “Will he join me in congratulating Sian Reid and Catherine Smart from Cambridge City Council for their work in reducing the number of empty homes in Cambridge since 2004?

He went on: “The government’s £150 million Empty Homes Fund is welcome but how can Cambridge City Council access this in order to bring even more empty homes back into use?”

Mr Stunnell told him: “For the £100 million announced for providing affordable homes, local authority bids will be invited shortly and I hope Cambridge will be right there.

“For the £50 million for empty homes to tackle the worst concentration of empty homes, we are currently drawing up the criteria. I know that a number of community and voluntary groups in the East of England have their eyes on Cambridge as well.”

Later Julian said: “Cambridge City Council has done some excellent work in bringing empty homes back into use for families who need a permanent place to live.

“I am delighted the government is making money available for this purpose; it shows its true commitment to this problem. I would urge anyone who knows of a property which has been empty for a while to get in touch with the city council so that action can be taken to make it a home again.”

Figures released by the Empty Homes Agency show that there were 1,172 empty homes in the Cambridge in 2010 and 364 of these were long term vacant. The figure has fallen, however, from 1,428 in 2004.
Cambridge City Council has over 7,000 people on its waiting list for homes and works with private landlords to try to make empty homes available.

Julian is supporting a campaign launched through the website www.reportemptyhomes.com which encourages people to report empty houses across the country.

Lib Dems Back Move To Help More Street Drinkers

Outreach workers are hoping to extend a successful project and take more drinkers off the streets of Cambridge.

The £33,000 scheme, backed by Liberal Democrats on Cambridge City Council, would increase the number of successful detox programmes offered to alcoholics who cannot maintain normal out-patient treatment.

Street Outreach and Mental Health Team workers have asked for half the funding from Cambridge City Council and half from the GP consortium, Camhealth following successful working with street drinkers which has led to 30 a year treated under the detox programme. If both partners agree to funding this number could be increased to 50.

The money would pay for a Project Worker to support the Community Psychiatric Nurse.

City Councillors Catherine Smart and Tim Bick, responsible for housing and community safety respectively, are set to approve extra funding from the city council and are hoping Camhealth will follow their lead.

"Over the past two years, these community detox programmes have built an impressive track record," says Cllr Smart. "It now looks like we can capitalise further on the effectiveness of the Community Pyschiatric Nurse with a modest additional investment.

“With support from the city council we can increase treatments to at least 40 a year. If Camhealth come on board too and make this a full-time position, we could make it at least 50.

"Alongside education and training, interim accommodation and housing, these detox programmes fit into the Council's endeavours to rehabilitate those often seen on the streets, sometimes creating a nuisance by their behaviour," says Cllr Bick.

"I don't think there's a more sustainable alternative. One more individual getting their life back on track is one less potentially living on the streets: it's a win-win approach."

Rachel Everitt from the charity, Crime Reduction Initiatives, which manages the Street Outreach Team said: “"Our nurse does really positive work and secures some great outcomes. “But the time-consuming engagement and follow-up work with clients tends to hold back the capacity of his clinical role.

"With a Project Worker to support him, we think we can significantly increase the number of successful detoxes."

Subject to Council protocols, the city council will provide an immediate 12 months grant for half of the Project Worker's costs paid for from budget under-spending elsewhere.

It plans to assess the impact as part of a major review of policies to combat anti-social behaviour from the street life community in October.

Cllr Tim Bick, Street Outreach and Mental Health Team Manager, Rachel Everitt, Alcohol Community Psychiatric Nurse, Malcolm Stork and Cllr Catherine Smart